Ekiti Takes Steps To Tackle Malnutrition In Children

As part of efforts at reducing mortality and morbidity, Ekiti State Government has distributed Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) materials to five
referral centres to be administered free on affected children of 5 years and below.

The benefitting referral centres are the University of Ado Ekiti Teaching Hospital, Federal Medical Centre, Ido Ekiti as well as the Specialist Hospitals in Ikere, Ikole and Ijero.

Speaking in Ado Ekiti while handing the materials over to the management of the hospitals, the Chairman Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr.Sule Lawal described SAM as a life threatening condition which required urgent treatment that the drugs are meant to cure the menace.

Dr. Sule explained that government had trained a health officer on nutrition activities in each of the primary health care centres in the 16 Local Government Areas on how to diagnose severe acute malnutrition adding that the most common way to assess malnutrition in children is through body measurement.

The Chairman who said that the drugs are meant to fight the menace of SAM highlighted items distributed to the centres to include F-75, F-100 RESOMAL, ORAL Rehydrating Salt (ORS), measuring board, MUAC tape Height and Energy biscuits.

In her remarks, the Permanent Secretary, Primary Health Care Development Agency, Mrs. Folakemi Falore commended the Secondary and Tertiary hospitals for handling the cases with all the seriousness they deserved adding that the gesture has reduced the record of acute malnutrition in the state. Mrs. Falore enjoined the hospitals to make judicious use of the items and forward accurate data to the Agency for proper feedback.

Responding on behalf of the recipient hospitals, the HOD, Nutrition at Federal Medical Centre (FMC) Ido Ekiti Dr. Onyema Clifford pledged to  make good use of the items and promised to feed the office back by giving accurate date to the PHC to control the situation.

Last modified: November 9, 2012